Reports from two pro-life groups today prove that abortion clinics are not safe for women.

Saturday, February 7, 2015 an ambulance transported a woman from the Akron Women’s Medical Group abortion facility in Akron, Ohio, to a local hospital according to a report filed by Operation Rescue.

One pro-life activist was on the scene at the time and had the presence of mind to video the incident with his cell phone as the woman was loaded into an ambulance and rushed away from the clinic.

The Akron Women’s Medical Group (AWMG), a member of the National Abortion Federation, is a troubled abortion facility that has a history of health and safety deficiencies, according to documentation received by Operation Rescue. The abortion business leases their building from the notorious late-term abortionist Martin Haskell, who owns the property.

Then, the pro-life group Chiaroscuro Group published three ads they say will expose the need for abortion clinic inspections in the state.

Chiaroscuro Group, tells the public that only 17 of New York’s regulated abortion clinics have been inspected by the Department of Health between 2000 and 2012.

Five of those clinics only received one inspection in 12 years!

According to Life Dynamics, which reported on the story, one of the ads begins, “Don’t go! Trust me.”

Like something out of a back ally avoid at all costs. New York inspects tanning and nail salons but not women’s clinics? Teenagers go there without their parents knowing,” the ad continues.

The group points out that the State of New York inspects just about everything, pizzerias, nail and tanning salons but for more than a dozen years it’s failed to inspect abortion clinics.

In the ads the group reads actual reviews of women who used New York abortion clinics.

What the women said about their experiences is horrific:

Filthy
Disgusting
Dirty
The waiting room is dirty
It spells of dried urine
My worst experience ever
Filthy medical equipment, looks like it’s from the 70’s
A dirty, poorly operated clinic with zero care for the patients
She balanced her tool tray on the garbage can
Like something out of a back alley
Don’t go there
Like it hadn’t been cleaned in days
Avoid at all costs
It will cost you – your health
Poorly operated
One of the worst experiences I’ve ever had

The ads have gotten the attention of the New York Post, which published a story this weekend.

According to the NY Post report a majority of New York abortion clinics have never been inspected:

The Post reported last year that eight of New York’s 25 abortion clinics had not been inspected at all between 2000 and 2012, and five others were inspected only once in a dozen years.

The Health Department released that data — without identifying the names of the clinics — in response to a lawsuit filed by Chiaroscuro.

Following the outcry over the lack of inspections, the Health Department said last year it would re-inspect all 25 diagnostic and treatment facilities.

Chiaroscuro is now battling the Cuomo administration to obtain records on abortion-clinic inspections conducted by the Health Department last year and in 2013.

Chiaroscuro Group is encouraging those outraged by the condition of New York abortion clinics to support a bill introduced in the state by New York Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis

The bill would require regular inspections by the Department Of Health of the abortion clinics over which it has jurisdiction.

A woman who will be testifying at a press conference outside a Michigan abortion clinic got her courage to come forward after reading this blog.

Pro-lifers will call for a permanent end to a Lathrup Village abortion clinic when they gather in front of the Women’s Center of Southfield on Tuesday. The clinic is owned by abortionist Jacob Kalo and abortions are performed by abortionist Reginald Sharpe.

At the time of that Blog post, Sharpe had been sued at least five times.

The patient, who was injured from the abortion Sharpe performed on her, stumbled onto the Saynsumthn’s blog post.

While there she saw a series of comments from a a woman who claimed she took a patient to the clinic and another who claimed she caught VD because of unsanitary equipment:

Although the woman did not leave a comment herself, she responded to the e-mail address of a local pro-lifer who put her in touch with local pro-life investigator Lynn Mills.

Mills told Saynsumthn, that because she stumbled onto this blog- she is now willing to testify before the state about the treatment she received while under Sharpe’s care for an abortion at Women’s Center of Southfield.

According to Mills, the abortionist perforated the woman’s uterus after she went to him for a 23 week and five day abortion. Mills said after the botched procedure, the woman was removed from the abortion clinic out the back door by ambulance. Mills has a recording of the 911 call placed at the time the ambulance was called, which she hopes state investigators will listen to in deciding whether to allow the clinic to continue operating.

Mills sent Saynsumthn a transcript of the February 28, 2014 911 call were abortionists Reginald Sharpe tells the dispatcher they need to come right away because, “she has a hole and she’s bleeding.”

Unidentified female caller: He’s like, hold for one moment. I’m like what are you talking about?

Receiver: Southfield 911.

Unidentified female caller: I’m calling from WomanCare of Southfield. We have a patient here who needs emergency assistance to the hospital. We were doing a termination of pregnancy and there’s possible complication.

Receiver: Ok, female, how old?

Unidentified female caller: Hello?

Receiver: Ya, how old? How old?

Unidentified female caller: She is 29 years old; she’s a female.

Receiver: 29 (typing termination)

Unidentified female caller: She needs to go to the hospital like as soon as possible. Immediately.

Receiver: Termination. Ok. Of.

Abortionist Reginald Sharpe: This is Dr. Sharpe, how are you doing?

Receiver: Good. We’re going to get the paramedics coming that way. I’m just asking the questions and we’ll get them coming to 28505 Southfield, ok?

Abortionist Reginald Sharpe: We need them right now, she has a hole and she’s bleeding.

Receiver: Ok, gotcha. We’ll get them coming.

Abortionist Reginald Sharpe:Ok, about how long do you think?

Receiver: As soon as I hang up on with you will get them coming that way, Doctor. Bye-bye.

Abortionist Reginald Sharpe: Alright.

According to Mills, the woman had to be hospitalized for several days as a result of her abortion.

Mills said the state Attorney General has since ordered the closure of Sharpe’s Woman’s Center of Southfield pending the outcome of an investigation.

The closure order took place November 21, 2014, and this has been confirmed by a suspension notice on the state’s website:

However, despite this, calls made to the clinic have confirmed they are open and scheduling abortions.

Mills told Saynsumthn Blog that the Women’s Center of Southfield has failed no less than five inspections within the past ten months and she sent Saynsumth a list of some of the violations:

“I kept writing the state asking how many times do they get to fail?” Mills said.

Pro-lifers in Tennessee are working to pass Amendment 1 which would require inspections of abortion clinics.

Amendment 1 would give the state legislature more power to regulate abortion in Tennessee, essentially putting the state in line with what’s allowable under federal law.

In 2012, a conversation was captured on video between a lawmaker and a Tennessee Department of Health representative which explains why the Amendment is needed.

Tennessee legislator Joey Hensley, a licensed physician, discussed the lack of abortion facility regulations with the Assistant Commissioner from the Tennessee Department of Health and her answers were stunning.

She admited that the Department of Health has no enforcement ability to require abortion clinics to report to the state.

This sounds eerily similar to what took place in Pennsylvania when Kermit Gosnell’s House of Horrors abortion clinic was allowed to operate without any state inspections for years.

After operating for years, in the early 1990’s the Pennsylvania Department of Health instituted a policy of inspecting abortion clinics only when there was a complaint.

After Gov. Tom Ridge, who supported abortion rights, was elected, the state Department of Health stopped inspecting abortion clinics.

According to a grand jury investigation, “Officials concluded that inspections would be ‘putting a barrier up to women’ seeking abortions” and decided “to leave clinics to do as they pleased.” That practice continued under Gov. Mark Schweiker and Gov. Ed Rendell. It was not until after a drug raid in February 2010 at Gosnell’s clinic that the Health Department resumed regular abortion clinic inspections.

Less than a year later, eight charges of homicide for killing seven newborns and one female patient was brought against the abortion doctor. Various additional charges were brought against members of Gosnell’s staff. He was eventually convicted and is serving time in prison.

Do Tennessee abortion clinics operate in the dark like Gosnell’s House of Horrors clinic?

In the video conversation with the Tennessee Department of Health representative, she admits to lawmaker Joey Hensley, that when it comes to abortion clinics reporting to the state there is no teeth in current law to require them to comply.

Hensley asks the Tennessee Department of Health representative, “You require presently everyone who performs an abortion to report to the state?”

Hensley asks, “How do you enforce that? Do you check the abortion clinics and check their records and see if they have actually reported this information?”

She replies, “No sir, it’s not quite that active from our department.”

Hensley, “So you just ask ‘em to and assume?”

She says, “We let them know a couple times a year that they’re supposed to be reporting this information to the Department of Health.”

Hensley, “So that all you do? And then just- you assume that they report it?”

What she says next says it all, “It doesn’t have any teeth in the law for us to force them to report to us.”

You can watch the conversation here:

To show how dangerous abortion clinics are to women, advocates of Amendment 1 released this video which containes actual audio of a 911 call from an abortion facility.

During the call a staffer, from The Women’s Center abortion clinic, operated by Dr. Gary Boyle, directs other unidentified personnel where to find medication, and provides the following details to the 911 dispatcher.

911: “Tell me exactly what happened…”

WC Staff: “She started coughing and she quit breathing….”

911: “Is she breathing?”

WC Staff: “Uh, some”

WC Staff: “She just started having a coughing fit and maybe had quit breathing at one point.”

911: “Is her breathing completely normal?

WC Staff: “Now? No.”

911: “And is she completely alert?”

WC Staff: “No.”

911: “Is she changing color?”

WC Staff: “Yes….She just looks ashen, she’s a black woman…”

911: “Does she have any abdominal pain?”

WC Staff: “Uh, I’m sure she does, she’s in the middle of getting an abortion.”

“Tennessee requires no health inspection of abortion facilities, has no informed consent and no waiting periods for abortion. Amendment 1 does not overturn Roe vs. Wade like the amendment’s opponents would have you believe. I wish it did. However, Amendment 1 does bring Tennessee back up to a standard equal to all the surrounding states by legally providing a safer environment for women who do choose to abort their babies,” said Randy C. Davis, executive director/treasurer of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, a group of more than 3,200 cooperating Baptist churches, and an advocate of Amendment 1.

Voters in the state will cast their final decision on the amendment November 4th.

• Failure to conduct criminal background checks on employees, including abortionists.
• Failure to observe infection protocols; Workers wore the same bloody surgical scrubs while seeing one patient after another.
• The same dirty sponge was used to clean soiled surgical instruments and to wipe down the counter afterwards.
• Failing to wash hands between glove changes.
• Failure to wear personal protective equipment while rinsing and examining the bloody remains of aborted babies.
• Lack of equipment to suction patient airways in the event of an emergency.
• Failure to properly maintain equipment, including a rusty suction machine used for abortions.
• Multiple structural issues that posed potential health hazards.

A Capital Women’s Health employs abortionist David Reid Peters, who formerly worked for disgraced New Jersey abortionist Steven Brigham. Peters was reprimanded in 2007 for improperly prescribing drugs without having seen or examined patients – an illegal practice that was also present in Kermit Gosnell’s “House of Horrors” abortion mill.

Meanwhile, A Capital Women’s Health’s administrator, Shelley Abrams, has requested a variance until April 30, 2015, dubiously claiming that “patient safety, patient care and services offered would not be affected adversely” if the variance was to be granted and that patients would nonsensically “be protected” by it.

Amethyst Health Center for Women
Manassas, VA

The Amethyst Health Center for Women was inspected in June and December of 2012.

The first report containing 48 pages of violations including multiple violations of infection prevention protocols that left women at risk of becoming sick.

• Staff lunches stored in the “soiled” utility room refrigerator that also contained drugs and blood samples.
• Failure to change gloves between patients.
• Failure to properly launder linens used for patients to prevent the spread of infection.
• Using expired bleach/water solution that had lost its ability to sanitize.
• Tears in recovery area stretchers that could not be sanitized.
• Recovery recliners not disinfected between patients.
• Expired drugs.
• No “clean” utility room, risking contamination of drugs and other supplies.
• Hallways too narrow to accommodate a gurney and other structural violations.

The second inspection report revealed that infection control issues discovered during the June inspection still had not been corrected six months later. In fact, Operation Rescue could find no evidence that they have ever been properly addressed.

One of the facility’s abortionist Linwood Turner, was sued for “wrongful death” in 1997. The case appeared to be dismissed following moderation, which implies that an agreement was reached with the plaintiffs.

Another of Amethyst’s abortionists, Thomas Gressinger, was reprimanded in August 2013, for allowing, (in Gosnell-like fashion), an unqualified worker to administer drugs to abortion patients. He was also sued by an abortion patient in 1993 for an abortion that was so badly botched that she required an emergency hysterectomy.

Nevertheless, Amethyst’s owner and administrator, Marie Elisabeth Beurkens VanderWoude, claimed in her variance request that it was unreasonable to ask her to bring her facility into compliance given the “pendency of an Executive Directive and litigation” that could negate the regulations. Expenditures on upgrades, she said, “undermine the principle purpose of the facility.”

Only if that purpose is to keep abortion dangerous.

Annandale Women and Family Center
Alexandria, VA

Annandale Women and Family Center was inspected in August, 2012.

The report containing 48 pages of violations included:

• Patient paperwork that omitted information about how to file a complaint.
• Failure to conduct criminal background checks on employees, including abortionists.
• Failure to have on duty during abortions staff with current CPR certification.
• Failure to provide fire safety and infection prevention training.
• Lack of documentation that patients received or understood required patient rights information.
• Dried blood, torn surface, and tape on abortion table.
• Torn surfaces on recovery room stretchers.
• Failure to clean “direct care” equipment between patients.
• Reuse of sponges that were used to clean dirty surgical equipment and no way to sterilize them.
• Failure to properly launder linens that were used on patients to prevent the spread of infections.
• No designated “clean” area for storage of drugs, supplies.
• Inadequate drug logs and improper drug storage, and handling.

Abortionist Linwood Turner is also known to work at the Annandale facility.

Annandale’s administrator, Gail Frances, complained in her variance request that the cost of bringing her facility into compliance would be $150,000 and six months of lost income.

Apparently, women’s lives are worth considerably less than that to these people.

Planned Parenthood Blacksburg Health Center
Blacksburg, VA

Planned Parenthood’s Blacksburg Health Center was last inspected in July 2012. It currently offers medical abortions and no surgical abortions.

Nevertheless, a 28-page inspection report included the following violations:

• Failure to maintain infection prevention policies.
• Staff lacked access to information about reporting health care providers.
• Abortionists often failed to provide discharge orders.
• Rusted and torn components on a procedure table used for sonograms.
• Lack of Quality Control documentation that jeopardized patient safety.
• No policy for reporting abortions as required, indicating that the facility was likely not reporting.

Walter Klausmeier, President/CEO of Planned Parenthood Health Systems, which operates the Blacksburg facility, boasted in his variance request letter of a “strong safety record,” but the inspection report indicates that this facility has “jeopardized patient safety” as a matter of routine.

Falls Church Healthcare Center
Falls Church, VA

Falls Church Healthcare Center was inspected in August 2012, and December 2012.

• Inadequate infection control plan.
• Blood collection sets were bloody and not cleaned between patients.
• Dried blood found on the procedure table, including on the foot rests.
• Dust-covered and generally dirty equipment throughout the facility.
• Blood-spatter on the door to a procedure room.
• Dirty sponge used to wipe up blood spatter was never cleaned.
• Other violations of accepted blood-born pathogen protocols.
• Expired drugs, fluids, supplies.
• Failure to have a policy to report patient deaths within 24 hours as required.
• Absence of employee criminal background checks.
• Lack of employee training.
• Failure to ensure employees were properly vaccinated for Hepatitis B as required.
• Absence of policy to address complaints.

The follow-up inspection six months later found an additional six pages of violations, including:

After they filed a suit to block the Virginia abortion facility licensing rules, Operation Rescue documented two life-threatening medical emergencies at Falls Church Healthcare Center where Thomas H. Gresinger and Jan Paul Fruiterman, (who paid out $730,000 in a wrongful death suit in 2000), conduct abortions under less than ideal circumstances.

In spite of these egregious violations that endanger the lives and health of women, owner and Director Rosemary Codding had the cheek to tell the State Health Commissioner in her request for variance that her facility “takes medically appropriate measures to protect the safety of patients and ensure that a standard of high quality care is met.”

Peninsula Medical Center for Women
Newport News, VA

Peninsula Medical Center for Women was last inspected in May, 2012.

During the inspection, 31 pages of violations were discovered including:

• Unsecured sharp containers with used needles laying on the floor and on a desk.
• Improperly maintained equipment, including suction machine.
• Failed to have infection control and emergency policies and procedures in place and neglected to train employees in infection control protocols.
• Failed to ensure abortionists were competent.
• Failed to document drug usage.
• Lacked emergency supplies, such as tubing for IV’s and oxygen.
• Inadequate cleaning of abortion table between patients
• Surgical rooms were too small to be safe.
• Poor drug handling, labeling, and disposal practices.

Backgrounds of the two abortionists known to work at Peninsula should raise eyebrows.

John Harrison Baker was reprimanded by North Carolina medical board in 2013 after it was found that he altered patient medical records to state that a registered nurse was present for abortions, even though no doctor or nurse was present as required by law. He owned the troubled Baker Clinic for women, which was temporarily closed by the state after dangerous practices were discovered there that “failed to assure the health, safety and welfare of its clients.” Baker did not dispute the charges and his facility permanently closed last year. He also has a history of botched abortions, including one horrific case of a perforated uterus.

William Fitshugh is a long-time abortionist who is said to have killed over 200,000 children in the womb during his career. He is was involved in a botched abortion on Margaret Codfelter in 1989, in which he perforated her uterus and left parts of the dead baby inside. He set her home without informing her of her life-threatening condition. Margaret died two days later.

Yet, Jill C. Abby, President of W.K.G. and J. Incorporated, which operates Peninsula Medical Center for Women, ludicrously claims in her request for variance, “It would be contrary to common sense – and arguably inappropriate – to pursue an aggressive and extraordinarily expensive compliance program.”

If common sense were really the issue, the shoddy Peninsula Medical Center for Women would be immediately closed.

The Falls Church Health Center of PPMW was last inspected in June 2012.

The inspection report lists 10 pages of violations, including:

• Tears in the vinyl on the abortion tables that made sanitation.
• Chairs covered in soiled cloth or torn vinyl that could not be adequately cleaned.
• Missing baseboard along one wall in an exam room.
• Expired drugs and syringes.
• Improper (and appalling) drug handling practices. When one employee was questioned about her failure to clean the tops of drug vials before inserting syringes, the worker responded, “The current research says it doesn’t make any difference. You could lick the tops of the vials and the infection rate would be the same.”
• Administration of medications without documented doctor’s orders.
• Failure to conduct preventative maintenance on equipment.
• Inadequate airflow throughout the facility.
• No evidence the building met state and local codes and building ordinances.

Planned Parenthood was forced to pay out a $1.5 million settlement in 2009 after Falls Church’s abortionist Colin St. Patrick Walters conducted an abortion on a 14-year old girl, who was released and never told that she suffered serious internal hemorrhaging from a perforated uterus, a small bowel tear, and severe vaginal and cervical injuries. She was rushed to the hospital the next day where she underwent emergency surgery where a “significant portion” of her unborn baby was discovered inside her abdominal cavity. She was left completely infertile.

Planned Parenthood’s safety statistics noted in the addendum of their variance request is presented in a way that would make it appear abortions there are safer than they are. “Of 15,558 patient visits since January 2011, only .006% of them resulted in an emergency transfer to the hospital.”

Unpacking that statement, we see that 15,558 are not individual abortion patients. Planned Parenthood counts every time a patient walks through the door as a “visit.” That number would also include women who came by – perhaps multiple times in a year — for birth control, STD testing, or other services besides abortion, which would significantly water down the percentage of women requiring an emergency transfer.

Yet, the President and CEO of PPMW, Dr. Laura Myers, made the dubious claim in her variance request that at PMW, “patient safety is our top priority.”

Tell that to the young woman who will never bear another child.

Richmond Medical Center for Women
Richmond, VA

The Richmond Center for Women was inspected in May 2012, with a follow-up inspection in March 2013.

The 2012 inspection uncovered 29 pages of deficiencies including:

• Failure to have anyone with current CPR certification on duty during abortions.
• Inadequate infection control training for employees.
• Staff failed to wear proper personal protection while dumping the bloody contents of an abortion suction jar down a sink (!), then scrubbing it with a bottle brush to “remove any clotted blood.”
• Handling “clean” surgical equipment without gloves, thus contaminating them.
• Lack of a pest control.
• Dried blood on three recovery room recliners.
• Torn surfaces on procedure table and recovery stretchers that made it impossible to sanitize them.
• Improper laundering of linens used by patients.
• Failure to wash hands and a lack of hand-washing supplies.
• Failure to perform preventative maintenance of equipment.
• Using dirty sponges for “cleaning” and other cross-contamination issues.
• Blood and rust on the procedure tables.
• Surgical equipment found in “sterile” packs without any dates.
• Expired testing supplies, cleaning supplies, drugs, and other items.
• An open jar of unwrapped cookies (provided to patients) that were contaminated.
• Safety and building code violations.

Upon re-inspection in March, 2013, an additional 10 pages of violations were discovered, along with many repeat offences. Deficiencies included:
• Blood found on abortion tables and other equipment in the abortion rooms.
• Torn pads on the abortion table.
• Unwrapped contaminated cookies and crackers that were fed to patients.
• More expired drugs.
• Building codes and other safety issue were uncorrected from previous inspection.

Abortionist William Fitzhugh, who as previously mentioned was involved in an abortion-related patient death, is the primary abortionist at the Richmond Medical Center for Women, which does the largest volume of abortions in the state. It is inexplicable how Fitzhugh can tolerate such squalid conditions and substandard practices, yet be considered an “expert” abortion witness who has testified in numerous court cases.

Jill C. Abby, president of W.K.G. and J. Incorporated, which owns the Richmond abortion facility, claims in her letter requesting a variance that her clinic provides “access to high quality reproductive care.”

If the filthy conditions and practices described in the inspection reports are any indication, Ms. Abby’s idea of “high quality” deserves serious re-evaluation.

Virginia Women’s Wellness
Virginia Beach, VA

Virginia Women’s Wellness is affiliated with the notorious New Jersey abortionist Steven Chase Brigham. It was inspected in May 2012, and again in March, 2014.

The abortionist at that facility, Craig Cropp, has a list of disciplinary action and other troubles far too lengthy to mention. The numerous adverse incidents might make referring to him as the “Gosnell of Virginia” might be an understatement. His full, sordid history can be read about on AbortionDocs.org. Suffice it to say that he has left a bloody trail of horrifically botched abortions in his wake and had clinic privileges revoked, suspended, or otherwise terminated at three VA hospitals.

Even so, Licensed Practical Nurse Michelle E. Nelson, the clinic’s administrator, had the audacity to request a 10-year variance, citing her opinion that the safety regulations were little more than an attempt to “stop women from accessing their legal right to freedom of choice.”

Virginia Health Group
Fairfax, VA

Virginia Health Group is another affiliate of the worst abortionist in America, Steven Brigham. It was last inspected in August 2012.

RICHMOND–A Virginia Department of Health inspection report obtained by The Family Foundation of Virginia through the Freedom of Information Act uncovered apparent violations of federal drug laws by the personnel at the Charlottesville Medical Center for Women.

The report also revealed multiple violations of basic health and safety standards, including the use of IV sedation without any personnel being trained in Advance Cardiac Life Support, the medical standard according to American Heart Association guidelines. Public health officials discovered that the doctor at the facility has been dispensing narcotics without a valid DEA license – which expired two years ago. In addition, staff at the facility was apparently improperly interacting with and keeping no records of Schedule II narcotics, and transporting drugs with no accountability or license.

“Ask any doctor and they will tell you that allowing their DEA license to expire for a week would be ridiculous but to allow it to be expired for two years and continue distributing Schedule II narcotics drugs is not just disturbing, it’s a blatant violation of federal law,” said Victoria Cobb, President of The Family Foundation of Virginia.

“This facility and this doctor have apparently been administering a Schedule II narcotic, the same Schedule of drug as OxyCotin, Cocaine and Methamphetamines, without a license. They’ve kept no records of the amount of these drugs they’ve purchased, used, distributed or “disposed of” by other means. The report states that they have unlicensed staff members transporting drugs with no inventory records. But sadly we know the abortion industry receives preferential treatment where any other medical practice or doctor would be held accountable. In any other instance, people would go to jail or face substantial fines, but instead this abortion center and doctor get a pass and licensure simply by promising to do better. It’s absurd.”

“… drawing up Fentanyl (a narcotic analgesic) and Versed (also termed Midozolam, a benzodiazepine) into a syringe. Staff #4 labeled the syringe with a marker and then brought the syringe to the bedside. Staff #5 (physician) started the patient’s intravenous line (IV) and then Staff#4 handed the syringe containing the Fentanyl and Versed to the physician, who then administered the medication. At no time were the contents of the syringe discussed between Staff #4 and Staff #5, nor was Staff #5 shown the vials from which the medications had been drawn.” When asked about the process, “Staff #4 stated that he/she regularly ‘drew up’ the Fentanyl and Versed for the administration by the physician…When asked how long Staff #4 had been drawing up medication for the doctor during procedures, Staff #4 stated that is has been for twenty (20) years. Staff #4 was asked if he/she was a licensed medical professional, and Staff #4 said, ‘no.’ A review was done of the Code of Virginia §54.1-3408 Professional use (of controlled substances) by Practitioners. There was no allowance for non-licensed persons to handle narcotic medications, even if under the supervision of a physician.”

Fentanyl is a Schedule II narcotic, described as highly addictive by the DEA.

Unlicensed staff members at the Charlottesville facility were also revealed to be transporting narcotics from one facility to another with no record or documentation. In fact, the facility had no records in accordance with federal and state laws regarding the drugs used at the facility. According to the inspection report: “…the facility failed to keep records of all drugs in Schedules I-V received, sold, administered, dispensed or otherwise disposed of…”

One of the questions public health officials should be asking is, “How did a doctor who doesn’t have a valid DEA license obtain Schedule II drugs? Was he obtaining them illegally through a pharmacy? Was another doctor obtaining the drugs and then illegally trafficking them to this doctor? And, did anyone at the Department of Health bother to investigate or ask? The primary doctor at this facility operates at three other abortion centers. Are the same violations happening at those facilities and has the state done anything at all to investigate or report these violations to federal authorities?”

The facility also apparently failed to follow standard medical procedure in administering narcotics. According to the inspection report, staff at the facility failed to document if patients were allergic to any drugs, and failed to take vital signs prior to procedures. The facility also had no one certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (an American Heart Association standard for the use of IV sedation) if a woman had an adverse reaction to the narcotic administered.

The center has responded to the inspection findings by simply submitting a form to the Department of Health promising to fix the litany of drug-related violations, though the person responsible for implementing the promised corrections appears to be the same staff member, the Administrator, who has been responsible for violating many of the laws. Added Cobb, “The submission of nothing more than a simple piece of paper amounts to a pinky promise by the facility to fix major problems.”

The Charlottesville Medical Center for Women is owned by W.K.G. and J., Incorporated (the secretary is Marianne Fitzhugh), which also owns the Roanoke Medical Center for Women, the Richmond Medical Center for Women and the Peninsula Medical Center for Women. According to 2013 data, these centers performed 12 percent of the abortions in Virginia that year, making them the third largest abortion provider in Virginia after Planned Parenthood and centers owned by infamous Dr. Steven Brigham.

Dr. William Fitzhugh is the only licensed doctor at the Charlottesville facility that we can identify on the Board of Medicine website.

“The abortion industry continues to fail to live up to its own rhetoric,” added Cobb. “While the $1 billion industry claims to put safety first, inspection reports have found over 400 health and safety violations, violations of state and federal law, and widespread contempt for the health and safety of women in Virginia. This center’s apparent disregard for federal and state drug laws, for the health and safety of the women who enter its doors, is beyond appalling. Our question is, did the Department of Health, when it became aware of the multiple violations of federal and state drug laws, report the doctor and the facility to any enforcement agency? In fact, did anyone do anything at all other than help cover it up?”

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Today, Ohio Right to Life obtained documentation of enforcement actions against three abortion facilities by the Ohio Department of Health. Among them is a $25,000 fine issued to Planned Parenthood of Bedford Heights due to severe violations of health and safety standards. Such violations include the facility’s failure to adhere to infection control policies, including exposed urine samples. Other health inspector discoveries include:

no experienced director of nursing on staff
improper storage of eight containers of human tissue
3-month overdue follow-up documentation for hospitalized abortion patient with perforated uterus
incomplete documentation for abortion patient who was hospitalized for bleeding
use of expired and undocumented chemicals and equipment used on surgical suction hoses

Further enforcement actions by the health department were taken against Northeast Ohio Women’s Center, which was denied a license to practice surgical abortions due to multiple health and safety violations, including failure to properly train staff, lack of a director of nursing, and expired medications and pregnancy tests.

“We’re deeply concerned, though admittedly unsurprised, that multiple abortion facilities are jeopardizing the lives and health of women,” said Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life. “The real war on women is being waged everyday in these unsafe and unsanitary abortion mills. These reports shock the conscience and reaffirm our resolve to protect life from Ohio’s abortion industry.”

This week, ODH also issued an administrative order to close the last remaining abortion facility in Toledo. Capital Care Network of Toledo (CCN) was unable to secure a transfer agreement with any Toledo-area hospital which caused health officials to begin the closure process last year. CCN attempted to enter into a transfer agreement with an out-of-state hospital at the University of Michigan. Because the hospital is located 52 miles away from CCN, the Department of Health ruled that it does not meet health and safety standards.

Capital Care Network of Toledo

“Without Capital Care Network, life in Toledo will be safer for women and children” said Gonidakis. “This week, our government assured all of us that women’s health and patient safety is priority number one. It is deeply troubling that some people are advocating for this illegal operation to remain open, putting women’s lives at risk.”